Cigarette making and cutting machine



April 3, 1956 w. R. BROWN ETAL CIGARETTE MAKING AND CUTTING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1950 INVE NTORS Mill/am Brown April 3,1956 w. R- BROWN ETAL 2,740,443

CIGARETTE MAKING AND CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet2 am I? Brown 11!! 5 Mal/607 United States Patent C) CIGARETTE MAKINGAND CUTTING MACHINE William R. Brown and John 'E.Mailhot, Toronto,Ontario,'Canada Application December 23, 1950, Serial No. 202,454

1 Claim. (Cl. 146-168) This invention relates to improvements inhand-operated cigarette-making devices and more particularly to a devicefor producing a plurality of individual cigarettes simultaneously.

The principal object of the invention is 'to enable the formation of aplurality of extremely uniform properly packedprecise machine madecigarettessimultaneously in a simple and convenient manner.

Another important object is to provide .for the cutting of a formedcigarette length into aplurality of precisely cu't individual cigarettesby the utilization of the ordinary razor blade, rendering the machineand the replacement of the cutting elements relatively inexpensive.

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing-a noveldevice to receive and cut a 'formed (length intoindivdual cigarettes.

In particular the invention resides in mounting an array of razor"blades with their cutting edges presented and providing a'slide toconvey the cigarette length into the blade edges in a manner to effectseverance into the individual lengths.

Another feature of importance consists in arranging correct position tobe -cut.

These-and other-objects and-features wi1l be apparent from I thefollowing description taken -in conjunction with "the accompanyingdrawings.

Ref errin g to thedrawings,-Figure 1 'is'a perspective view illustratingthe invention randzshowing the cigarette rolling device in position forcoaction withthe cutting .unit.

Figure 2 'is"a "perspectiveview dfthe cutting unit of Figure l partlybroken away for clarity.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the cutter mechanism partlybroken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1 with the slide in its outermost position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the slide movedinwardly.

Figure 6 is an enlarged part sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFigure 1 showing a detail of the knife holders.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the to the positionof Figures 4 or 8.

2,740,443 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8but showing the slide moved inwardly.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the cutter device shown inFigures .8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a perspective detail of the blade-holding mechanism.

With reference to the drawings, the complete cigarettemaking unitcomprises the rolling or forming component 1 and the cutting component2. The cutting component comprises a bottom 3 to which is secured thefront and side walls 4 and 5, and bridged between the side walls is alongitudinal "flat block 6.

The frame defined by the bottom 3 and the walls and the block 6 includesthe cutting mechanism to be hereinafter described and servesadditionally as a base or mount for the rolling component 1 whichcomprises a long strip of wood 7 and a fiat block '8 of appreciablewidth spaced from the strip 7 by the sides 9 having slots 10 with themetal turned out to form the slots forming the parallel guides 11.

Secured by the ,metal strip 12 at the top of the strip 7 is a flexibleapron 13 which extends in a fold down between the strip 7 and block '8to form a pocket 14, being secured to the rear edge of the block 8 bythe clamping strip '15.

Mounted beneath the apron ,13 is a rod 16 adapted to roll inthe guides11 and provided at the ends with the eularged knurled knobs 17.

In using the devicethe rod or spindle 16 is rolled back The apron 13 isthen depressed with the'fingers or the end of a pencil into the pocket14. Tobacco shreds are then laid in the apron loop or pocket in therequired quantity to form a cigarette of the desired bulk or diameter.

As will be appreciated from Figures 1 and 2, the length of the strip 7and block 8 are such as toproduce a multiple length cigarette form sothat while the diameterrequired is equivalent to the ordinary cigaretteits length, according to the illustration, will be more than five timesthe length of the ordinary individual cigarette.

Following placing of the tobacco-the operator, by rotating the knobs *17moves the rod or spindle 16 towards the positions of Figures 5 and 9.When-the spindle has been rolled 'sufiiciently to form .the'tobacco intoa tight symmetrical'cylinder'by'the-rolling action of the apron theoperator then places a narrowstripof cigarette paper on the forwardflatexposed surface ofthe apron above the block 8 and bycontinuedrolling of the spindle towards the "position of Figures'S and 9 the'tobacco is rolled onto the paper and-the-paper is formed to 'fit snuglyaround the cylindrical 'packedto'bacco as will be well understood.

Before the spindle 16 has been movedits full travel to the position of'Figure'S to cover the strip and complete the cigarette 18 to dischargeit'fromthe'apron a suitable 'adhesiveis applied, as is well understoodinthe art.

*With reference to'Figures2 to-6, it willbe seenthat one "edge of thebottom dis turned'upwardly-and rearwardly 25 to receive the ledges 19and 21 respectively whereby the blocks 23 are constrained to slide inaccurate alignment with the ledges.

Secured to the plate 20 centrally of its length is a rod 26 threaded atits outer end 27. A band spring 28 bent into a closed loop has its twoends and central portion threaded on the rod 26 and is engaged by thecompression nut 29, which upon being tightened is adapted to force theband against a stop surface 27' to distort and spread the sides of thespring into engagement with the adjacent blocks 23 spaced on each sidethereof to force same 31 forming a cutting element with its shoulders 32resting on the ledges 19 and 21 and its underside supported on thebearing block 22. The blades 31 are thus securely held by the clampingblocks 23 by tightening of the nut 29 but are instantly releasable forremoval by the compression nut.

The blocks 23 are arranged so that the spacing of the I knives 31 isuniform and equalito the desired length of the individual cigarette tobe formed.

Arranged beneath the longitudinal block 6 on each side wall 5 of thecutting component is a guide 33 of channel form and these guides receivethe arms 34 of a slide 35 provided with a series of slots 36 registeringwith the blades 31, permitting the slide to be advanced from the showingof Figure 4 to the showing of Figure 5.

From the showings of Figures 2 and 4 it will be seen that the bottom ofthe slide 35 is immediately above the top of the blocks 23, and with theslide in its outer position there is a space or channel the full lengthof the slide to receive the cigarette form 13 in the plane of the slideto be engaged by its forward edge 37 which is shown slightly concavedand constituting an undercut lip conforming to the peripheral shape of acigarette form tending to roll and acting to urge the cigarettedownwardly as the slide is advanced to the position of Figure 5.

It will be appreciated from Figures 4 and 5 that the edges 38 of theknives 31 are angled so that as the length of cigarette form 18 isadvanced through the cutting device from Figures 4 to 5 a cut ofprogressively increasing depth is made until the complete severance ofthe form 18 into the individual cigarettes, which are collected in thechamber 39.

The result is a very precise clean out which would not be provided ifthe knife edges were arranged perpendicular to the travel of the slide.

The component 1 is simply seated on the block 6 and v is shown withrubber feet or knobs 40 which frictionally grip the walls 4 and 5 tofirmly hold this component in position on the cutting component 2.It-will be appreciated however that the cutting component may beutilized with any device for rolling a cigarette form of extendedlength.

To prevent the slide 35 from pulling free when with drawn to theposition of Figure 4 pivotal lock bars 41 are secured to the ends of thearms 34 and are swung transversely of the arms when it is desired tolock the slide in position and into alignment with the arms when it isdesired to free the slide.

The modified form of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 11 shows thecutting component 2 of similar form to the component 2 but provided witha longitudinal block 42 in place of the sliding blocks 23. This block 42is provided at uniformly spaced intervals with saw cuts 43 defining anangled bottom bearing surface 44, Figures 8 and 9. Into thecuts 43 areinserted the holders 45 formed of spring metal to grip a razor blade 46.

These holders 45 present a lateral flange 47 adapted to bear on theupper surface of the block 42 with the angled edge 48 of the holderbearing on the bottom 44 of the saw cut.

A slide 49 having arms 50 received in the end guides 51 and providedwith the slots'52 registering with the blades 46 carry the cigaretteform 18 through the cutting mechanism as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9;Suitable pins 53 through the ends of the arms 50 retain the slideagainst accidental removal. I

Again, as will be seen from Figure 9, movement of the slide effects acutting of progressively increasing depth to give an extremely preciseclean cut as desired.

The result of the present invention is that with a substantiallycontinuous operation cigarettes having a machine-made appearance can bequickly formed in a very short interval with simplicity and convenience.

What we claim as our invention is:

In a device for cutting a cigarette form of extended length intoindividual cigarettes comprising a supporting structure having a pair oflongitudinal guides, a plurality of clamping blocks slidably arrangedbetween said guides, stop means at the ends' of said guides, expandingmeans intermediate the length of said guides and between a pair ofadjacent blocks to force blocks on opposite sides thereof in oppositedirections towards the ends of said guides, a plurality of cuttingelements arranged between said clamping blocks and gripped thereby uponexpanding of said expanding means, said cutting elements presenting anarray of parallel cutting edges above said blocks and spaced thedistance of the desiredv length of individual cigarette, and a cigarettecarrying slide movable in a direction parallel said cutting edges andimmediately above said blocks to convey a cigarette form of extendedlength against said knife edges to be cut thereby, said expanding meanscomprising a rod arranged between said blocks and transverse of saidguides and formed with a threaded end, a spring metal band ofsubstantial width of elongated oval form having said rod threadedthrough the central part and the ends of said band, said band engaging astop remote from said threaded rod end, and a nut engaging said band tocompress same against said step to expand same outwardly into contactwith adjacent blocks on opposit'e sides thereof. 1

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS262,177 Cowman et al. Aug. 1, 1882 599,323 Dreisbach Feb. 22, 1898813,912 Ray Feb. 27, 1906 1,282,779 Dula Oct. 29, 1918 1,626,550 MillerApr. 26, 1927 1,932,508 Brown Oct. 31, 1933 2,108,972 Orner Feb. 22,1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 370,017 Germany Feb. 26, 1923

